US6658692B2 - Small area deep cleaner - Google Patents

Abstract

An upright deep cleaner including a base housing pivotally connected to an upright handle, the upright handle carrying a liquid supply tank and the base housing including a recovery tank. The liquid supply tank includes an internal siphon tube for ensuring liquid flow to a feed valve when the upright handle is in the inclined position. The base housing includes a suction nozzle adjacent a spray bar, and removable floating brush for contacting a surface being cleaned, the brush being interchangeable with a bare floor tool including a sponge, brush, and squeegee. The recovery tank includes an internal baffle for preventing foaming of solution and a tank vent housing including a sponge-type filter to prevent spray from exiting the recovery tank.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/755,724, filed Jan. 5, 2001 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,467,122, which claims the benefit of provisional patent application Serial No. 60/176,380, filed Jan. 14, 2000.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a water extraction cleaning machine and, more particularly, an upright water extraction cleaning machine

2. Description of the Related Art

Water extraction cleaning machines have been used for removing dirt from surfaces such as carpeting, upholstery, drapes and the like. The known water extraction cleaning machines can be in the form of a canister-type unit as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,237,720 to Blase et al. or an upright unit as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,500,977 to McAllise et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 4,559,665 to Fitzwater.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

According to the invention, a portable surface cleaning apparatus comprises a base housing adapted for movement along a surface to be cleaned, an upright handle pivotally mounted to the base module, a liquid dispensing system and a dirty liquid recovery system. The liquid dispensing system comprises a liquid dispenser associated with the base module for applying liquid to a surface to be cleaned, a liquid supply tank removably mounted to the handle for holding a supply of cleaning liquid and a liquid supply conduit fluidly connected to the liquid supply tank and to the dispenser for supplying liquid to the dispenser. The liquid recovery system comprises a recovery tank removably mounted on the base housing and having a liquid recovery chamber for holding recovered liquid, a suction nozzle associated with the base housing and adapted to draw dirty liquid from the surface to be cleaned, a working air conduit extending between the recovery chamber and the suction nozzle and a vacuum source in fluid communication with the recovery chamber for generating a flow of working air from the nozzle through the working air conduit and through the recovery chamber to thereby draw dirty liquid from the surface to be cleaned through the nozzle and working air conduit, and into the recovery chamber to thereby recover the dirty liquid from the surface to be cleaned.

In one embodiment of the invention, a supply tank mounting assembly on a rear side of the handle and on a front side of the liquid supply tank removably mounts the liquid supply tank to the rear side of the handle. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the supply tank mounting assembly comprises a pair of spaced mounting rails on the rear side the handle and a pair of spaced mounting rails on the liquid supply tank adapted to interface with the handle mounting rails to slidably mount the liquid supply tank to the rear side of the handle.

The supply tank has an outlet opening in a lower portion thereof and a cap is removably mounted, typically with threads, in the outlet opening. A siphon tube is mounted to the cap and has a free end distal from the cap. The siphon tube is bent into a shape so that the free end of the siphon tube is adjacent the side wall at a low point in the interior of the tank when the handle is tilted in use.

A vent hole is preferably provided in the liquid supply tank at an upper portion of the front side thereof for venting air into the supply tank.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the liquid supply tank has an elongated shape in a vertical direction when the handle is in an upright position and smoothly conforms to the shape of the handle to an appearance of being integrated therewith. The liquid supply tank front side has a relatively flat front portion and the handle has a recessed rear wall complementary to the flat front portion of the liquid supply tank. The relatively flat front portion of the supply tank front side is received in the recessed rear wall of the handle. The rear wall of the liquid supply tank has a concave outward shape. The front face has a fill opening at a central portion thereof whereby the supply tank can be filled while oriented horizontally. A fill cap/measure is removably mounted, typically with threads, in the fill opening. The fill cap/measure has on an interior end a cavity that has a predetermined capacity related to a predetermined volume in the liquid supply tank whereby the fill cap/measure serves as a measuring container for cleaning solution that is added to the predetermined volume of clean water in the liquid supply tank to form a solution of a desired concentration in the liquid supply tank.

Furthermore, the liquid supply tank has measuring indicia on the tank to indicate when the tank has been filled to the predetermined volume. The measuring indicia comprises a mark on an upper portion of a wall of the liquid supply tank to indicate the predetermined volume when the tank is in an upright position. The measuring indicia further comprises a mark in a vertical direction along a side wall of the liquid supply tank near the front side thereof to indicate the predetermined volume when the tank is in a horizontal fill position. The supply tank is at least partially translucent or transparent so that the level of the liquid in the tank can be observed by an operator.

Preferably, the liquid supply tank has an elongated shape in a vertical direction when the handle is in an upright position and smoothly conforms to the shape of the handle to an appearance of being integrated therewith.

The recovery tank has an outlet opening for passage of air directly to the atmosphere and a filter mounted in the outlet opening. A tank vent is mounted in the recovery tank outlet opening and the filter is mounted in the tank vent. The tank vent is preferably snap-fit into the outlet opening. The recovery tank further includes an inlet opening and the working air conduit is fluidly connected to the inlet opening. The recovery tank further has a diverter in alignment with the inlet opening for breaking up the flow of dirty liquid entering the liquid recovery chamber. The inlet opening is at an upper portion of the recovery tank and a top wall of the recovery tank is shaped to direct the flow of dirty liquid downwardly in the liquid recovery chamber. The recovery tank further has a baffle that is positioned below the inlet opening and diverter. The baffle includes a plurality of openings for passage of dirty liquid and air therethrough. Further, the working air conduit is formed at least in part integrally with the recovery tank.

Further according to the invention, a cord wrap is mounted on the handle assembly for wrapping the cord in a loop, an electrical cord is mounted to the handle adjacent the cord wrap and connected to the vacuum source, and a strain relief collar is mounted on the electrical cord at the handle and aligned with the cord wrap so that the electrical cord is relatively straight and unstressed between the handle and the cord wrap. The strain relief is formed of an elastomeric material.

Further according to the invention, the vacuum source includes an inlet conduit connected to the working air conduit and a grill in the inlet conduit to prevent debris from entering the vacuum source. Further, a flow-restricting baffle upstream from the grill is in the inlet conduit.

Further, according to the invention, the base housing including a cooling air inlet on a lower surface thereof in communication with the vacuum motor. The base housing further comprises a cooling air outlet on a lower portion thereof.

Other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the ensuing description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a small area deep cleaner according to the invention.

FIG. 1A is a side view of the small area deep cleaner of FIG. 1 with the upright handle in a tilted-back position.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of an upright handle of the small area deep cleaner of FIG.1.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a rear face of a liquid supply tank of the small area deep cleaner of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 3A is a side view of the liquid supply tank of FIG.3.

FIG. 3B is a front view of the liquid supply tank of FIGS. 3 and 3A.

FIG. 3C is a cross-sectional view taken throughline3C—3C of FIG.3B.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a floor-traveling head portion of the small area deep cleaner of FIG.1.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a baffle from the small area deep cleaner of FIG.4.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the floor-traveling head of the small area deep cleaner of FIGS. 1-5.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken throughlines7—7 of FIG.6.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken throughlines8—8 of FIG.6.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a recovery tank from the small area deep cleaner of FIGS. 1-8.

FIG. 9A is a plan view of the recovery collection tank of FIG.9.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a tank vent of the small area deep cleaner of FIGS. 1-9.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a bare floor tool for the small area deep cleaner of FIGS. 1-10.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a brush for the small area deep cleaner of FIGS. 1-11.

FIG. 13 is an end view of the brush of FIG.12.

FIG. 14 is a front view of the brush of FIGS. 12-13.

FIG. 15 is a bottom view of the brush of FIGS.12-14.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIG. 1, a small area deep cleaner10 according to the invention comprises anupright handle100 pivotally connected to a floor-travelinghead200. Small area deep cleaner10 is rollingly supported on a surface bywheels272 andnozzle260.

Upright handle100 includes anupright handle housing102 comprising front andrear shells110,120, ahandgrip130, anupper handle tube134, and aliquid supply tank140.Upper cord wrap136 generally projects fromhandgrip130, andlower cord wrap112 generally projects fromhousing102.

Floor-travelinghead200 includes abase housing210 and arecovery tank assembly240.Recovery tank assembly240 is secured tobase housing210 bylatches214.

Referring now to FIG. 2, theupright handle100 comprisesfront shell110,rear shell120, andhandgrip130 comprising first andsecond handgrip pieces131,132.Handgrip130 is connected to the front andrear shells110,120 byupper handle tube134, withupper handle tube134 received between each of front andrear shells110,120 and first andsecond handgrip pieces131,132, and secured thereto to form theupright handle assembly100 in combination with theliquid supply tank140.

Handgrip130 further comprises a cleansolution feed trigger170 pivotally mounted to and captured between first andsecond handgrip pieces131,132, andupper cord wrap136 pivotally mounted tosecond handgrip piece132.Trigger170 is adapted to operatively contact the upper end of an upper cleansolution feed rod172 slidably carried withinupper handle tube134 andhandgrip130.Rod172 includes a number oftransverse slot apertures173 adapted to receive a fastener (not shown) during assembly of thehandgrip130 andupper handle tube134.Slot aperture173 and the fastener cooperate to restrict movement of therod172 to the range defined by the length of theslot aperture173 in response to depression oftrigger170; trigger170 preferably includes a mechanical stop to limit depression oftrigger170 and therefore movement ofrod172.Upper cord wrap136 is pivotally mounted tosecond handgrip piece132, and includes a detent (not shown) for aligningupper cord wrap136 in a vertical orientation (see FIG. 1) for holding a coil ofelectrical cord118 in cooperation with fixedlower cord wrap112 molded into front andrear shells110,120.

Upright handle housing102 includes front andrear shells110,120, each molded to include internal structural features adapted to hold and/or guide working elements of the cleaner10.Lower cord wrap112 is composed of a portion extending from a side of each of the front andrear shells110,120 that together formlower cord wrap112 whenshells110,120 are assembled. Astrain relief projection114 is positioned on a side ofshells110,120 below and in alignment withlower cord wrap112.Strain relief projection114 is adapted to receive an electricalcord strain relief124 for aligning it with upper and lower cord wraps136,112. In assembled form,electrical cord178 is thus aligned for storage on cord wraps136,112.

Rear shell120 includes apower switch aperture116 opening to a rear face thereof, and a pair of parallel liquid supplytank guide rails118 arranged above a liquid supply tank support shelf121 (see FIG. 1A) on a rear face ofrear shell120. Anopening122 is provided in the liquid supplytank support shelf121.

Referring to FIG. 2,upright handle100 further comprises an upperclean solution receiver160, a lowerclean solution receiver162, aflow valve switch164, a flow valve O-ring166, aflow valve spring168, and aflow valve washer169. Theupright handle100 further comprises a lower cleansolution feed rod174 for operatively connecting upper cleansolution feed rod172 and flowvalve switch164.

Referring now to FIGS.3 and3A-C,liquid supply tank140 is generally hollow and of a blow-molded construction. Thetank140 comprises an integrally formedhandle142, a liquid supplytank fill opening144, and a liquid supplytank feed opening150. The liquid supplytank fill opening144 is located in a central portion on afront surface157 of thetank150 and is internally threaded for threaded receipt and retention of a liquid supply tank fill cap/measure146 with conventional external threads that match the internal threads on thefill opening144. Intersecting horizontal and vertical indicia filllines143 at right angles to each other are printed on a side surface of theliquid supply tank140 between thehandle142 and thetank feed opening150 and provide a visual indication to a user of a predetermined tank volume in either an upright or horizontal orientation. Fill cap/measure146 has aninternal cavity147 which has a measured volume for a user to measure a predetermined amount of cleaning solution for addition to theliquid supply tank140 in a predetermined proportion to the predetermined tank volume ofliquid supply tank140 as represented by the fill lines143. To this end the liquid supply tank is molded from a thermoplastic that is at least partially transparent or translucent so that a user can tell when the liquid volume in the tank reaches the fill lines143. A liquid supply tank fill cap O-ring148 resides between the fill cap/measure146 andtank140 to provide a fluid tight seal. Thetank feed opening150 protrudes from the bottom oftank140 and is externally threaded.

A liquid supplytank feed valve152 is sized to be received in thetank feed opening150 and is held in place by a liquid supply tank feedvalve retainer ring154. Liquid supplytank feed valve152 includes aprojection159 housing a spring-biasedplug155. A ribbedresilient seal153 surroundsprojection159,ribs149 forming an annular seal about the circumference ofprojection159 when inserted in a corresponding well in upperclean solution receiver160. The well of upperclean solution receiver160 further includes a centered upstanding pin for pushingplug155 against its spring-bias, thereby openingvalve152. A siphontube151 is fluidly connected to liquid supplytank feed valve152. Siphontube151 is adapted to extend toward a bottom portion of arear face158 oftank140 for fluidly connecting that portion oftank140 throughvalve152 toprojection159.

Front surface157 oftank140 further includes avent hole141 located between thehandle142 andtank fill opening144. A pair of opposed parallel liquid supplytank mounting rails156 are molded into thefront surface157 oftank140 and extend from the area above solutiontank feed opening150 to the liquid supplytank fill opening144.

Referring to FIG. 4, the floor-travelinghead200 comprises abase housing210, ahousing cover220, a motor/impeller assembly230, arecovery tank assembly240, andnozzle assembly260.

The motor/impeller assembly230 comprises amotor232 having adrive shaft233,motor cooling impeller232A, motor mounts308,309,310, and animpeller234 carried within a two-piece impeller shell236.Impeller shell236 includes anintake port238 havingribs302 across its opening, and anoutput port239.Intake port238 is provided with anintake port gasket300, which includes a resilient restrictingflap304 for covering a portion ofintake port238.Output port239 is provided with anoutput port gasket306.

Referring particularly to FIGS. 4-10, therecovery tank assembly240 comprises a tankupper shell242 and a tanklower shell256, abaffle254, asuction channel cap248, and atank vent290. Theshells242,256 define atank cavity258. Theupper shell242 comprises a generally smooth outer surface, except for alongitudinal suction channel246 on an upper surface of the upper shell242 (see FIG.4). An upper end of thesuction channel246 terminates in avertical passage251 passing through an extended portion of the material of theupper shell242 through anoutlet opening253 but not into thetank cavity258. Asecond aperture252 located on a rear portion of theupper shell242 passes into the cavity258 (see FIG.8). A V-shapeddiverter249 is integrally formed on an inside surface of the tankupper shell242 in axial alignment with thesecond aperture252. Opposite thesecond aperture252 on an upper face of theupper shell242, atank vent opening250 is adapted to receive thetank vent290 that provides further passage into thetank cavity258. Thetank vent290 comprisesmultiple slots292 to permit the passage of air, and is molded to closely fit within thetank vent opening250 and conform to the outer curvature of the tankupper shell242. One edge of thetank vent290 is resilient and includes a finger tab294 (see FIGS.9-10). An opposing edge of thetank vent290 includes a recessedextension296 that cooperates with the opposing resilient edge to hold thetank vent290 within theopening250.

Thenozzle assembly260 comprises anozzle262, a see-throughnozzle lens264, aspray bar266, abrush268, and anozzle gasket269.

Thespray bar266 includes aspray bar cover267, thespray bar266 and cover267 being secured to an inside surface of the front face of thenozzle262. Thespray bar266 comprises a single inlet and a plurality of outlets evenly spaced across its length. The inlet is fluidly connected with the upperclean solution receiver160 via a conduit (not shown). Thebrush268 removably clips in place on the underside of thenozzle262 with sufficient clearance such that thebrush268 floats freely in thenozzle262. Thebrush268 comprises avertical alignment device268B extending axially from either end of thebrush body268A (see FIG.12). Aresilient clip261 is located inboard of thealignment device268B on each end of thebrush body268A. A plurality of bristle bundles268C extend axially from thebrush body268A in opposition to theresilient clip261 andalignment device268B. The bristle bundles268C are arranged in rows transverse to a longitudinal axis ofbrush268. Each row of bristle bundles268C describes an angle with the vertical centerline of brush268 (see FIG.13), with the transverse rows alternating from one side to the other of the longitudinal centerline. In the longitudinal direction (see FIGS.14-15), the rows of bristle bundles268C are aligned vertically at the center of thebrush body268A and are canted outwardly at increasing angles from the center to the lateral sides of the brush.

The small area deep cleaner10 is assembled in the following fashion. The upper cleansolution feed rod172 is inserted in theupper handle tube134 so that a portion projects above the upper end of thehandle tube134. The first and secondhand grip pieces131,132 are then assembled over the upper end of theupper handle tube134 and the upper cleanersolution feed rod172, enclosing thetube134 androd172. Further, the cleansolution feed trigger170 is inserted between the first and secondhand grip pieces131,132 and pivotally carried on the interior of thehandgrip130 so that one end of thetrigger170 is aligned against the upper end of the upper cleansolution feed rod172. Theupper cord wrap136 is assembled to thesecond handgrip piece132.

The assembly comprising thehand grip130 andtube134 is then centrally aligned on therear shell120 of theupright handle100. The assembly comprising the upperclean solution receiver160, lowerclean solution receiver162, flowvalve switch164, flow valve O-ring166, flowvalve spring168 and flowvalve washer169 have also been assembled on a lower portion of therear shell120, with the lower cleansolution feed rod174 aligned between theswitch164 and theupper rod172. A cleansolution feed tube350 is attached to an outlet portion on theclean solution receiver160 and is threaded through the interior of therear shell120 toward the bottom of theshell120 for eventual passage to the floor-travelinghead200. An electricalcord strain relief124 is oriented axially in a slot104 in theshells110,120 with aelectrical cord178 extending from the exterior of theshell120 through thestrain relief124 into the interior of therear shell120, and electrically connected with apower switch180. Aninterconnect harness179 is connected to thepower switch180 at one end and is threaded through to the lower portion of therear shell120 for eventual passage to the floor-travelinghead200. Thefront shell110 is then secured over the front of therear shell120, thefront shell110 andrear shell120 mating so as to hold in place those components installed in therear shell120. Thefront shell110 and therear shell120 are typically injection-molded with an internal configuration adapted to receive and hold the various components in place.

Theliquid supply tank140 is assembled by the placement of the fill cap/measure146 and fill cap O-ring148 into thefill opening144, and the placement of thefeed valve152 with siphontube151 into thefeed opening150, thefeed valve152 being held in place by theretainer ring156. Theliquid supply tank140, as assembled, is then ready to be mounted on the rear face of therear shell120 by lowering thetank140 against the rear face of therear shell120 and sliding the liquid supplytank mounting rails156 within liquid supplytank guide rails118 provided on the rear face of therear shell120. Asliquid supply tank140 is lowered againstrear shell120,projection159 is inserted into upperclean solution receiver160, withribs149 ofseal153 resiliently compressing against the wall of a receiving well in thereceiver160. The interaction between thecompressed ribs149 and the wall creates a resistance against extraction of thevalve152 fromreceiver160 and thus resistance against removal oftank140 fromrear shell120.Tank140 is further supported byshelf121.

The assembled upright handle100 further comprises, on a lower portion of therear shell120, a pair of inwardly directedrimmed collars126. The center of each of these collars includes anaperture127 for receipt of apin axle274 forwheels272 for the small areadeep cleaner10. Eachcollar126 further comprises anarcuate aperture128 for the passage of the cleansolution feed tube350 on the one hand, and theinterconnect harness179 on the other hand, from therear shell120 into the floor-travelinghead200 of the small areadeep cleaner10.

The floor-travelinghead200 is assembled in the following fashion. The motor/impeller assembly230 is assembled by the attachment of themotor232 to the rear half of theimpeller shell236, allowing themotor shaft233 to pass through a central opening in the rear half of theimpeller shell236. Theimpeller234 is secured to themotor shaft233 via a threaded insert molded intoimpeller234.Bushing312 provides a seal atmotor shaft233 on rear half ofimpeller shell236. The front half of theimpeller shell236 is then mated with the rear half, enclosing theimpeller234, and with the appropriate seals/bushings in place creating a water-tight enclosure. The motor/impeller assembly230 is then secured into thebase housing210 with interposed motor mounts308,309,310 adaptingmotor232 to moldedcontours326 ofbase housing210, and held in place by a motor/impeller assembly cover222 includingmotor vent apertures223.Base housing210 includes a coolingair inlet325 for passage of cooling air intobase housing210, throughmotor vent apertures223 and into the motor/impeller assembly230, and amotor exhaust324 for exhaust of cooling air from motor/impeller assembly230 beneathbase housing210.Motor cooling impeller232A can thus draw cooling air into motor/impeller assembly230 through coolingair inlet325 ofbase housing210 andmotor vent apertures223, and exhaust cooling air throughmotor exhaust324 to exhaust cooling air frombase housing210. Location of coolingair inlet325 andexhaust324 on a lower portion ofbase housing210, rather than on an upper surface of floor-travelinghead200, prevents fluids from being spilled into motor/impeller assembly230 to the detriment ofmotor232. Adetent lever216,detent spring217, anddetent lever pin218 are then assembled to a rear portion of thebase housing210.Bushings270 are then installed over thecollars126 of theupright handle100 andwheels272 are secured to thehandle100 by apin axle274 andclip275 through theapertures127, the completedupright handle assembly100 is then mated with thebase housing210 by the placement of each bushing70 andcollar126 arrangement insemi-circular recesses212 on the exterior sides of thebase housing210. The clean solution feed tube and electrical cord are now available to the interior of thebase housing210 through thearcuate apertures128, and are run inchannels322 provided in the moldedbase housing210 to their respective destinations, theinterconnect harness179 being run to themotor232 and the clean solution feed tube being run to the front portion of thebase housing210 for attachment to thenozzle assembly260. Thehousing cover220 is then attached to thebase housing210, thecover220 comprising among other elementssemi-circular recesses224 on its exterior sides, aligned with the semi-circular recesses of thebase housing220, to encompass the upper half of thecollar126 andbushing270 of theupright handle100, thereby pivotally mounting theupright handle100 to the floor-travelinghead200.Upright handle100 is maintained in a vertical orientation with respect to floor-travelinghead200 by the action ofdetent lever216 preventingupright handle100 rotating in a rearward direction, and by the abutment of upright handle stops129 to base housing stops329 in a frontward direction. Upright handle stops129 and base housing stops329 further prevent upright handle100 from rotating forward and bearing againstrecovery tank assembly240.

Thenozzle assembly260 is then assembled to the front portion of thebase housing210, thenozzle262 carrying on an underside thereof thespray bar266, fluidly connected to cleansolution feed tube350,spray bar cover267, and thebrush268. Thenozzle lens264 is mounted to the front of thenozzle262, forming a portion of a suction channel between thenozzle lens264 and thenozzle262. A front portion of thebase housing210 and the rear portion of thenozzle262 are molded with a channel for the passage of the cleansolution feed tube350 to thespray bar266. Thebrush268 fastens in a removable fashion to the underside of thenozzle262 by the insertion of integrally moldedresilient clips261 throughapertures263 provided in thenozzle262. Thenozzle gasket269 nests in a recess formed in an upper portion of the assemblednozzle262 andnozzle lens264.

Thebase housing210 further comprises a pair of opposing fold-overlatches214 withover-center links215 for aligning withcatches318 on the sides of thetank assembly240 for securing thetank assembly240 to thebase housing210. The floor-travelinghead200 is now ready to receive the removablerecovery tank assembly240.

Assembly of therecovery tank assembly240 comprises securing thebaffle254 into theupper shell242 and the insertion of thetank vent290 into thetank vent opening250. Thetank vent290 normally carries a foam type filter for the trapping of incidental spray introduced into the tank and to reduce noise generated by the unit. Theupper shell242 is then assembled to the tanklower shell256 in a sealed fashion to create a water-tight receptacle. The tanklower shell256 is molded and contoured320 to nest within thebase housing210. Theupper shell242 is further completed by the attachment of thesuction channel cap248 over thesuction channel246. When therecovery tank assembly240 is placed within thebase housing210, thesuction channel246 created between theupper shell242 and thesuction channel cap248 aligns with the suction channel formed between thenozzle262 andnozzle lens264, thenozzle gasket269 providing for a continuous water-tight channel. Therecovery tank assembly240 further comprises, in theupper shell242, avertical passage251 contiguous with thesuction channel246. With therecovery tank assembly240 secured in place on the floor-travelinghead200,vertical passage251 aligns with theintake port238 and theimpeller shell236.Recovery tank assembly240 is secured tobase housing210 bylatches214, which provide a downward force onrecovery tank assembly240 to create a water-tight seal byintake port gasket300 betweenvertical passage251 andintake port238, and further create a water-tight seal byoutput port gasket306 betweensecond aperture252 andoutput port239.Intake port gasket300 includesflap304 which reduces the area ofintake port238, which controls the volume of air flow into the motor/impeller assembly230 and thereby minimizes the amount of air introduced into the solution. Theintake port238 comprises a conduit with a number ofribs302 for limiting the debris contained in the flow that passes into theimpeller shell236. Thesuction channel246 is therefore fluidly connected with theintake port238 of theimpeller shell236. Theupper shell242 further comprises asecond aperture252 on a rear portion thereof providing a fluid connection between thetank cavity258 and theoutput port239 of theimpeller shell236 with interposedgasket306 for providing a fluid seal betweenoutput port239 andsecond aperture252. As described above, thevertical passage251 is fluidly isolated from thetank cavity258, but, when connected to theintake port238, is fluidly connected to thetank cavity258 through theimpeller shell236 andoutput port239.

In operation, the motor/impeller assembly230 is activated by the provision of power to themotor232 through thepower switch180, creating a suction force at theintake port238 of theimpeller shell236. This suction force is fluidly connected from theintake port238 through thesuction channel246 to the portion of thenozzle262 adjacent to the surface to be cleaned. The circuit of dirty fluid flow runs from the opening of thesuction nozzle262 to thetank cavity258 through thesuction channel246,vertical passage251,intake port238,impeller shell236,output port239, and through thesecond aperture252 on the rear of theupper shell242. The flow of dirty solution can be observed by the user through the see-throughnozzle lens264. Dirty water is deposited in thetank cavity258, with waste air vented from thetank cavity258 throughtank vent290. Themotor232 has animpeller232A that draws cooling air through the coolingair inlet325 located on the bottom of thebase housing210.

Cleaning solution is provided to the surface to be cleaned by depressing the cleaningsolution feed trigger170, which, by action of the upper and lower cleansolution feed rods172,174 activates the clean solutionflow valve switch164. The upperclean solution receiver160 receives theprojection159 of the liquid supplytank feed valve152 through anopening122 provided in the in therear shell120 of theupright handle100. Clean solution contained in theliquid supply tank150 is gravity-fed into theclean solution receiver160,162, where it is held until theflow valve switch164 is depressed. Upon depression of theflow valve switch164, the clean solution flows from theclean solution receiver160,162 through a cleansolution feed tube350 to thespray bar266 where it continues to flow by gravity to the surface to be cleaned.

The suction force provided at thenozzle262 then extracts the solution, now considered a dirty solution, through thesuction channel246 and into theimpeller shell236. The dirty solution is then expelled from theimpeller shell236 through theoutput port239 and into theupper shell242 anddiverter249 of therecovery tank assembly240. The dirty solution is directed downwardly into thetank cavity258 by impinging upon the inner face of theupper shell242. The dirty solution drops out of the fluid stream as it slows, while the remaining, clean air in the fluid stream is vented from therecovery tank assembly240 through thetank vent290. The foam-type filter carried by thetank vent290, as stated above, captures incident water spray, preventing it from passing through thetank vent290 and reducing noise from the motor assembly.

Thebaffle254 serves the function of dispersing the flow of dirty solution into therecovery tank assembly240. By dispersing the flow, thebaffle254 prevents the force of the expelled dirty solution from splashing the solution already collected in the tank, reducing the likelihood of excess splatter beyond the capacity of the foam filter, and reducing the formation of foam in the dirty solution.

Referring to FIG. 5, the openings in thebaffle254 are graduated, withsmaller slots255 adjacent thesecond aperture252 serving to more effectively disperse the force of the solution expelled into the tank, andlarger openings257, remote from thesecond aperture252 but adjacent thevent opening250.Baffle254 includesouter edge contours314 for closely conforming to the interior ofupper shell242, and recesses316 for attachingbaffle254 toupper shell242 atlugs317. Upon therecovery tank assembly240 reaching its capacity of dirty solution, therecovery tank assembly240 can be removed from thebase housing210 by unlocking thelatches214. The dirty solution in the tank is disposed of by inverting therecovery tank assembly240 and pouring the dirty solution out of thesecond aperture252. Alternatively, the dirty solution is disposed of by removing thetank vent290 and pouring the dirty solution out through thetank vent opening250. Thelarger baffle openings257 adjacent the tank vent opening250 make it easier to empty therecovery tank assembly240.

FIGS. 6-8 illustrate the relationship of therecovery tank assembly240 with respect to thebase housing210, and in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 7 illustrates thesuction channel246 passing from thenozzle262 through thesuction channel246 of theupper shell242 and into theintake port238 of theimpeller shell236. FIG. 8 then illustrates the relationship of theoutput port239 of theimpeller shell236 to thesecond aperture252 in theupper shell242 above thebaffle254. The arrows indicate the direction of airflow in both FIGS. 7-8.

FIG. 9 provides another view of thetank assembly240 showing the relationship of thebaffle254 andtank vent290, as well as thesecond aperture252 in theupper shell242 which fluidly connects with theoutput port239 of theimpeller shell236.Diverter249 is also shown in its relationship to thesecond aperture252 here and in FIG. 9A, a plan view of theupper shell242.

Thetank vent290, shown in detail in FIG. 10, is removed from the tank vent opening250 by applying pressure to thefinger tab294, pulling the edge of thevent290 away from the edge of thetank opening250 and relieving the friction between thevent290 and theopening250. Thevent290 can then be removed by grasping thefinger tab294 and rotating thevent290 about the opposingextension296.

An additional feature of the small area deep cleaner10 according to the invention is abare floor tool280 shown in perspective in FIG.11. Thebare floor tool280 is generally rectangular in plan view and removably clips in place on the underside of thenozzle262, in place of thebrush268. Thebare floor tool280 includes a pair of resilient moldedclips288 for insertion in thesame apertures263 of thenozzle262 that receive theclips261 of thebrush268. Thebare floor tool280 comprises a reinforcedsponge284, parallel to and between asqueegee282 located along the front edge, and a plurality ofbristles285 located along a back edge. Between thesqueegee282 and thesponge284 lies a line ofslit apertures287 and an elongatecentral opening286. Thebare floor tool280 is configured so that, when installed in place of thebrush268, thesuction nozzle262 will be aligned with theslit apertures287, and thespray bar266 will direct cleaning solution to the surface to be cleaned through thecentral opening286. The leading edge of the floor-travelinghead200 will therefore have asqueegee282 against the floor, followed by theslit apertures287 withnozzle262 therein,spray bar266 within thecentral opening286, thesponge284 somewhat compressed against the floor, and thebrush285 in operative contact with the floor. Thebrush285 provides a scrubbing action on the bare floor, thesponge284 serving the purpose of even fluid distribution and some degree of scrubbing, and thesqueegee282 scraping water from the surface to be extracted by thenozzle262. The extension of thesqueegee282,sponge284, andbrush285 beyond the face of theopening286 and in contact with the floor, prevent thenozzle262 from contacting and scratching, or being damaged by, the bare floor.

While the invention has been specifically described in connection with certain specific embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that this is by way of illustration and not of limitation. Reasonable variation and modification are possible within the scope of the forgoing description and drawings without departing from the spirit of the invention which is defined in the appended claims.

Claims (32)

What is claimed is:

1. A portable surface cleaning apparatus, comprising:

a base housing having a front portion and a rear portion adapted for movement along a surface to be cleaned;

an upright handle with a front side facing the front portion of the base housing and a rear side facing the rear portion of the base housing, the upright handle pivotally mounted to the rear portion of the base module;

a liquid dispensing system comprising:

a liquid dispenser associated with the base module for applying liquid to a surface to be cleaned;

a liquid supply tank removably mounted to the handle for holding a supply of cleaning liquid;

a liquid supply conduit fluidly connected to the liquid supply tank and to the dispenser for supplying liquid to the dispenser;

a liquid recovery system comprising:

a recovery tank removably mounted on the base housing having a liquid recovery chamber for holding recovered liquid;

a suction nozzle associated with the base housing and adapted to draw dirty liquid from the surface to be cleaned;

a working air conduit extending between the recovery chamber and the suction nozzle;

a vacuum source in fluid communication with the recovery chamber for generating a flow of working air from the nozzle through the working air conduit and through the recovery chamber to thereby draw dirty liquid from the surface to be cleaned through the nozzle and working air conduit, and into the recovery chamber to thereby recover the dirty liquid from the surface to be cleaned;

the improvement comprising:

a supply tank mounting assembly on the rear side of the handle and on a front side of the liquid supply tank for removably mounting the liquid supply tank to the rear side of the handle.

2. A portable surface cleaning apparatus according toclaim 1 wherein the supply tank mounting assembly comprises a pair of spaced mounting rails on the rear side of the handle; and a pair of spaced mounting rails on the liquid supply tank adapted to interface with the handle mounting rails to slidably mount the liquid supply tank to the rear side of the handle.

3. The portable surface cleaning apparatus according toclaim 2 and wherein the supply tank includes an outlet opening in a lower portion thereof and a cap removably mounted in the outlet opening, and further comprising a siphon tube mounted in the cap and having a free end distal from the cap, the siphon tube is bent into a shape so that the free end of the siphon tube is adjacent a side wall at a low point in the interior of the tank when the handle is tilted in use.

4. The portable surface cleaning apparatus according toclaim 3 and further comprising a vent hole in the liquid supply tank at an upper portion of the front side thereof.

5. The portable surface cleaning apparatus according toclaim 4 wherein the liquid supply tank has an elongated shape in a vertical direction when the handle is in an upright position and smoothly conforms to the shape of the handle to an appearance of being integrated therewith.

6. The portable surface cleaning apparatus according toclaim 5 wherein the liquid supply tank front side has a relatively flat front portion and the handle has a recessed rear wall complementary to the flat front portion of the liquid supply tank, and the relatively flat front portion of the supply tank front side is received in the recessed rear wall of the handle.

7. The portable surface cleaning apparatus according toclaim 6 wherein a rear wall of the liquid supply tank has a concave outward shape.

8. The portable surface cleaning apparatus according toclaim 7 wherein a front face of the supply tank has a fill opening at a central portion thereof whereby the supply tank can be filled while oriented horizontally.

9. The portable surface cleaning apparatus according toclaim 8 and further comprising a fill cap removably mounted in the fill opening, the fill cap having on an interior end a cavity that has a predetermined capacity related to a predetermined volume in the liquid supply tank whereby the fill cap serves as a measure for a cleaning solution that is added to a predetermined volume of clean water in the liquid supply tank to form a solution of a desired concentration in the liquid supply tank.

10. The portable surface cleaning apparatus according toclaim 9 wherein the liquid supply tank has measuring indicia on the tank to indicate when the tank has the predetermined volume.

11. The portable surface cleaning apparatus according toclaim 10 wherein the measuring indicia comprises a mark on an upper portion of a wall of the liquid supply tank to indicate the predetermined volume when the tank is in an upright position.

12. The portable surface cleaning apparatus according toclaim 11 wherein the measuring indicia further comprises a mark in a vertical direction along a side wall of the liquid supply tank near the front side thereof to indicate the predetermined volume when the tank is in a horizontal fill position.

13. The portable surface cleaning apparatus according toclaim 12 wherein the supply tank is at least partially transparent or translucent so that the level of the liquid in the tank can be observed by an operator.

14. The portable surface cleaning apparatus according toclaim 10 wherein the measuring indicia comprises a mark in a vertical direction along a side wall of the liquid supply tank near the front side thereof to indicate the predetermined volume when the tank is in a horizontal fill position.

15. The portable surface cleaning apparatus according toclaim 14 wherein the supply tank is at least partially transparent or translucent so that the level of the liquid in the tank can be observed by an operator.

16. The portable surface cleaning apparatus according toclaim 10 wherein the supply tank is at least partially transparent or translucent so that the level of the liquid in the tank can be observed by an operator.

17. The portable surface cleaning apparatus according toclaim 1 wherein the supply tank includes an outlet opening in a lower portion thereof and a cap removably mounted in the outlet opening and further comprising a siphon tube mounted in the cap and having a free end distal from the cap, the siphon tube is bent into a shape so that the free end of the siphon tube is adjacent a side wall of the supply tank at a low point in the interior of the tank when the handle is tilted in use.

18. The portable surface cleaning apparatus according toclaim 1 wherein the liquid supply tank has an elongated shape in a vertical direction when the handle is in an upright position and smoothly conforms to the shape of the handle to an appearance of being integrated therewith.

19. The portable surface cleaning apparatus according toclaim 1 wherein the liquid supply tank front side has a relatively flat front portion and the handle has a recessed rear wall complementary to the flat front portion of the liquid supply tank, and the relatively flat front portion of the supply tank front side is received in the recessed rear wall of the handle.

20. The portable surface cleaning apparatus according toclaim 19 wherein a rear wall of the liquid supply tank has a convex outward shape.

21. The portable surface cleaning apparatus according toclaim 1 wherein the front side of the liquid supply tank has a fill opening at a central portion thereof whereby the supply tank can be filled while oriented horizontally.

22. The portable surface cleaning apparatus according toclaim 21 and further comprising a fill cap removably mounted in the fill opening, the fill cap having on an interior end a cavity that has a predetermined capacity related to a predetermined volume in the liquid supply tank whereby the fill cap serves as a measure for cleaning solution that is added to a predetermined volume of clean water in the liquid supply tank to form a solution of a desired concentration in the liquid supply tank.

23. The portable surface cleaning apparatus according toclaim 22 wherein the liquid supply tank has measuring indicia on the tank to indicate when the tank has the predetermined volume.

24. A portable surface cleaning apparatus, comprising:

a base housing adapted for movement along a surface to be cleaned;

an upright handle pivotally mounted to the base module;

a liquid dispensing system comprising:

a liquid dispenser associated with the base module for applying liquid to a surface to be cleaned;

a liquid supply tank for holding a supply of cleaning liquid, the liquid supply tank has an elongated shape in a vertical direction when the handle is in an upright position and further has an elongated side wall;

a liquid supply conduit fluidly connected to the liquid supply tank and to the dispenser for supplying liquid to the dispenser;

a liquid recovery system comprising:

a recovery tank removably mounted on the base housing having a liquid recovery chamber for holding recovered liquid;

a suction nozzle associated with the base housing and adapted to draw dirty liquid from the surface to be cleaned;

a working air conduit extending between the recovery chamber and the suction nozzle;

a vacuum source including a vacuum motor in fluid communication with the recovery chamber for generating a flow of working air from the nozzle through the working air conduit and through the recovery chamber to thereby draw dirty liquid from the surface to be cleaned through the nozzle and working air conduit, and into the recovery chamber to thereby recover the dirty liquid from the surface to be cleaned;

the improvement comprising:

the elongated side wall has a fill opening at a central portion thereof whereby the supply tank can be filled while oriented horizontally.

25. The portable surface cleaning apparatus according toclaim 24 and further comprising a fill cap removably mounted in the fill opening, the fill cap having on an interior end a cavity that has a predetermined capacity related to a predetermined volume in the liquid supply tank whereby the fill cap serves as a measure for a cleaning solution that is added to a predetermined volume of clean water in the liquid supply tank to form a solution of a desired concentration in the liquid supply tank.

26. The surface cleaning apparatus according toclaim 24 wherein the liquid supply tank has measuring indicia on the tank to indicate when the tank has the predetermined volume.

27. The portable surface cleaning apparatus according toclaim 26 wherein the measuring indicia comprises a mark on an upper portion of a wall of the liquid supply tank to indicate the predetermined volume when the tank is in an upright position.

28. The portable surface cleaning apparatus according toclaim 27 wherein the measuring indicia further comprises a mark in a vertical direction along a wall of the liquid supply tank near the elongated side wall thereof to indicate the predetermined volume when the tank is in a horizontal fill position.

29. The portable surface cleaning apparatus according toclaim 28 wherein the supply tank is at least partially transparent or translucent so that the level of the liquid in the tank can be observed by an operator.

30. The portable surface cleaning apparatus according toclaim 26 wherein the measuring indicia comprises a mark in a vertical direction along a wall of the liquid supply tank near the elongated side wall thereof to indicate the predetermined volume when the tank is in a horizontal fill position.

31. The portable surface cleaning apparatus according toclaim 30 wherein the supply tank is at least partially transparent or translucent so that the level of the liquid in the tank can be observed by an operator.

32. The portable surface cleaning apparatus according toclaim 26 wherein the supply tank is at least partially transparent or translucent so that the level of the liquid in the tank can be observed by an operator.

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